


The Present

by kooili



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 10:21:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14952824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kooili/pseuds/kooili
Summary: A piece of fluff for my amazing wife. I am so lucky to have you in my life. Happy birthday, darling  :-*





	The Present

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wonko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonko/gifts).



Berenice Wolfe hadn’t been a morning person. In spite of her years in the Army, and what almost everyone who had  ever met her assumed, she would happily sleep in until the sun was high in the sky.

No, she hadn’t been a morning person. Not until mornings meant waking up like this.

She shifted onto her right side and sighed contently. Serena’s arm, draped across her waist sensed the movement and twitched in her sleep. Bernie could stare at this face for hours. The soft fluff of hair, untidy from sleep, framed her brow. The corners of her eyes, often crinkled in expression were smooth and relaxed. Bernie’s gaze drifted downwards, tracing the line of those impossible cheekbones, past the angle of the jaw before stopping at the dimple on her chin.

Her Serena. Beautiful. Gorgeous. Magnificent. 

And as she did so very often, Bernie reached out a hand, eager to feel the texture of Serena’s skin under her fingertips. She cupped a cheek and brushed a thumb across her lips before leaning in for a light kiss, loath to rouse her partner before she was ready to wake. She was about to pull back when she felt a gentle pressure replying, the smallest pucker of Serena’s lips returning her kiss. The unchanged rhythm of her breathing told Bernie that she hadn’t woken and that Made her smile. It was as if Serena could sense her, even from that liminal space between sleep and wakefulness. 

Bernie placed another kiss, this time on the tip of her nose as she ran fingers through the short silver-streaked strands framing the lobe of Serena’s ear. Ordinarily, she would be happy to do this and nothing else all day. What could be better than the privilege of lying in bed watching adoringly, mesmerized by this amazing woman she was incredibly lucky to have in her life.

But this was far from an ordinary day. 

Despite Serena’s protestations that her birthday was just like any of the other three hundred and sixty four days of the year, Bernie was determined to make it a special one. This was, after all, the first one they were celebrating together.

As a couple. 

Partners. 

Bernie’s mind drifted back to a conversation she had overhead in the ward weeks ago.

* * * * * 

_ It was a busy day, practically non-stop, and neither of them had even time to think about a break, let alone lunch. Bernie finally finished checking on the last obs on her list and decided to nip down to Pulses for coffee and a sandwich. She looked for Serena and found her at the other end of the ward, examining an elderly patient, brought in by a neighbour who found her fainted over the herbaceous border in her garden. _

_ From the looks of it, the old dear was certainly bending Serena’s ear. Bernie caught the end of their conversation as she approached the bay. _

_ “... and that is why a greenhouse should always be south-facing.” _

_ “I’ll keep that in mind the next time I’m thinking of one. Now, there are a few more tests to be run and we should have a better idea of how to proceed once the results come back. In the meantime, you need to rest.” _

_ Bernie stood watching fondly, hands deep in her pockets as Serena gave the woman one of her trademark smiles, before calling out.  _

_ “Serena.” _

_ Their eyes met and in that brief instant, the stress and fatigue of the day dissolved. _

_ “I’m going to get a bite to eat. Do you want your usual?” Bernie’s hand found the small of Serena’s back by instinct relishing in the brief contact. _

_ Serena nodded, relaxing into the touch. “And one of those pastry things I like…” _

_ “I’ll see what I can do.” Bernie promised. _

_ They exchanged another smile before Bernie turned to walk away. She was almost out of earshot when the next thing the patient asked made her pause in mid-stride. _

_ “So, how long have you two been together for?” _

_ Serena seemed to have been caught off guard considering the long pause before she finally answered. _

_ “How-” _

_ The older woman chuckled. “Instinct and experience my dear. So, she’s your partner.” She continued with her next question when Serena didn’t protest. “Or wife, perhaps?”  _

_ Bernie listened as Serena demurred, almost nervously. “Not quite. Not yet.” _

_ “Oh, and why not?” _

_ The words stuck in her head as she exited the ward. _

_ Why not, indeed. _

* * * * * 

Serena shifted in her sleep, turning onto her stomach, trapping Bernie’s leg under her own, bringing her back to the present. Bernie lay, enjoying the sensation of the being held under its weight for a few long seconds before moving as slowly as she could, carefully extricating herself from between the warm thighs under the cool cotton. She breathed out in relief when she finally managed to slide out of her side of the bed without waking Serena. She was on her feet a moment later, stretching the sleep out of her body. Her hoodie lay draped across the chair by the bedside, where it was left the night before and Bernie picked it up, threading her arms through the sleeves in one smooth motion. A quick look at the bed found Serena hugging Bernie’s half of the duvet, none the wiser that she had left. Bernie smiled as she shut the bedroom door behind her, making her way towards the kitchen. Breakfast would be ready before Serena woke to find her gone. 

It hadn’t taken long to prepare what she had planned: croissant, toast with marmalade, pot of tea, a glass of orange juice and a single stalk of rose in a thin glass vase.

There was just one final touch.

Bernie wiped her hands on her pyjama bottoms and headed into the hall. Her bag was in its usual spot and she picked it up, pulling out the tiny gift-wrapped box that had been sitting in a zipped pocket for close to two weeks now.

_ It’s now or never. _

The ball of nervous anticipation in her stomach grew as she returned to the kitchen and assembled the tray, placing the box on the far corner, next to the vase. 

“Good morning.”

The throaty voice made her jump and Bernie swivelled round to find Serena smiling sleepily at her. 

“You’re up.” Her voice rose in a squeak, caught by surprise.

Serena crossed the kitchen and reached out, wrapping her arms around Bernie’s hips and pulled her in for a kiss. 

“I woke up and you weren’t there. Missed you so I launched a search party,” she murmured, against Bernie’s cheek. 

The way she said the words made it sound so logical, so natural that Bernie’s heart swelled with hope that what she had planned would go well.

“I was going to bring you a birthday breakfast in bed.”

“Thank you, darling.”

Serena placed another kiss on Bernie’s lips before shifting her gaze onto the kitchen counter. She glimpsed the tray half-hidden behind Bernie and peeked over her partner’s shoulder. Her face was bright with delight as she took in its content.

“Croissant, toast, tea and juice. My favourite breakfast.” 

She pulled away from the embrace and reached for the tray.

“And a rose as well.” She raised an eyebrow, regarding her partner fondly, “You are pulling out all the stops today, aren’t you?”

Bernie smiled, nervously, as she waited for her to finally notice the final item on the tray. Her heart was in her throat when Serena picked up the wrapped box. Their eyes met and Serena gave her a stern look.

“I thought we agreed that the weekend away and theatre tickets were going to be my birthday presents.” 

Bernie’s heart was thumping so hard in her chest that she just about managed the two syllables. “They were.”

“What is this, then?” Serena held up the box and gave her an arched look. 

Bernie took a deep breath before answering. “That, is possibly a present for me.”

Serena frowned, confused. “What?”

“Open it,” Bernie encouraged.

The wrapping was dismantled in a matter of seconds and Serena found herself staring at a dark blue jeweller’s box.

Bernie watched as confusion transformed slowly into realisation and slipped her arms around Serena’s waist, waiting until their eyes finally met before speaking. 

“I love you. And I love being your partner in everything that we do but I would also like to be your family.” She paused with a tentative smile. “If you’ll let me.”

Serena stared wordlessly first at the box in her hand and then at the face of the woman she adored more than anything she ever had or ever would. Her vision blurred over, and she blinked, tears of joy prickling the corners of her eyes. 

“Yes.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> A big thank-you to my proofreader who kept me right. You know who you are, Prof :D


End file.
